Teething

Recognise the signs of teething and learn tips for pain relief

Date posted:
08 Aug 2017

Teething is an exciting time for you and your baby, even if it may cause a few sleepless nights! At around six months old, their toothy grin begins to develop as the first of their milk teeth emerges through their gums. Go teeth! As more appear, you’ll need to recognise the signs of teething and – should they happen – teething troubles. You’ll also need to clean and sterilise anything your baby chews on to reduce the risk from harmful germs.

Teething symptoms for your little one include:

Sore or red gums around the tooth

Flushed cheeks

They dribble, gnaw and chew a lot

They appear fretful and may have a temperature

What are the stages of Teething?

Babies usually have all their milk teeth by 30 months. But which will pop up first?

Bottom front incisors – around five to seven months

Top front incisors – six to eight months

Top lateral incisors either side of top front teeth – nine to 11 months

Tips for Teething Troubles

Some of your baby’s teeth will appear as if by magic. Others can take a little longer and cause pain or discomfort. During teething, babies tend to chew on anything they can get their hands on. Good hygiene, therefore, is vital. Anything that may find its way into your baby’s mouth should be cleaned and sterilised, to prevent harmful germs being ingested.

There are also other ways to put a smile back on your little treasure’s face:

Give your baby a teething ring to chew on. Some can be chilled in the fridge to soothe your baby’s gums. Always clean and sterilise as you would with feeding bottles and teats

Rub sugar-free teething gel on their gums

Give them something healthy to chew on such as fruit or vegetables

Offer them a cool sugar-free drink, preferably water

At this age, your child is likely to be putting their hands in their mouth all the time, so make sure you regularly wash their hands with soap suitable for baby skin